Metta World Peace: Jason Collins Is Welcome on the Lakers

Jason Collins, the professional basketball player who recently announced he's gay, will have no trouble fitting into an NBA locker room, according to one All-Star.

"I'd play with him on my team," Los Angeles Lakers star Metta World Peace told PEOPLE at the Showtime pre-fight party before the Floyd Mayweather Jr./Robert Guerrero bout in Las Vegas. When asked whether Collins would be accepted in an NBA locker room, World Peace's answer was simple: "Of course."

With Collins's historic announcement in Sports Illustrated, he became the first active player in American team sports to publicly announce he's gay. For World Peace, though, the outing wasn't a big deal.

"Everybody deserves their own preference and [to] live their life the way they want," he said. "For me, it wasn't big news for someone to come out gay. I don't care. It wasn't a big deal. I think whatever he wants to do is okay. That's the unique thing about people. Everybody is different, and they can choose how they want to live."